I don't define myself through the opinions of others. At least that's what he'd told Jason. He almost convinced himself too. Almost. Nico was a good liar, however, he wasn't that good.

Calm down. You can do this. Focus. It could be worse. There wouldn't be that many people around anyway. It was fairly late for breakfast. But when had Fortuna ever been kind to him?

With each step closer to the Dining Pavilion the knot in his stomach grew. He was used to it tho, used to the looks and whispers. That wasn't what got him. Some things couldn't be changed. It was the quiet that followed that made breathing unbearable.

As soon as he entered the rows of tables and benches, it hit. He was hyper-aware of the tense atmosphere spreading like a disease. You could hear a pin drop. The message clear. Rooted on the spot he stood there frozen. There was no going back or forth. All eyes were on him and he wanted nothing more than to bolt. He felt terribly alone in the faceless crowd. Trapped behind a wall of silence, he slowly threatened to disappear.

Nico gritted his teeth.

He wouldn't cave. He lifted his head and pushed forward to the empty table of cabin 13, the way seemingly endless. In the corner he saw Calypso sitting among the Hephaestus kids, fiddling with the bracelet Leo gifted her a lifetime ago. Neither of them would meet his eyes, and the burning ache inside him expanded to his chest. Funny how the dead welcomed him more than the living.

"Nico!"

The son of Hades almost jumped as a firm hand gripped his shoulder. He turned. His face betrayed nothing as he stared at the pair of teens that ambushed him. The Stolls.

They looked how he felt. Highly uncomfortable and a little scared. Each of them sported a nasty black eye - a prominent mix of purple and blue that would eventually wither into ugly varieties of greens. Before he could ask they interrupted him.

"Sorry!" Both brothers declared, simultaneously bowing down.

Nico blinked. It was such an absurd thing to do.

"We messed up big time," Connor continued, his eyes squint shut.

"We won't do it again. Promise!"

The seconds passed as the sons of Hermes waited for Nico's judgment. They certainly deserved another punch to the face after all he had to go through. It was only fair. They'd caused so much harm. It was them who screwed up, not Nico. Whatever the child of Hades deemed fit they would accept as punishment. They were no strangers to yelling or the silent treatment and knew the drill pretty well. A certain stigma had always been attached to their legacy - a legacy of liars and thieves. The way people treated their antics ranged from annoyance to pity, but it was always the same. 'A desperate call for attention,' that's what they'd been told.

"I believe you," Nico's voice, a soft whisper, while shy fingers petted their heads.

Both boys' eyes widened. There was no lashing out, no pettiness, no repercussion, no punishment. Was the boy for real? There had to be a catch.

"I…It's okay. I know you didn't mean to."

Connor could hear the fragile smile hidden in the other's words. It was a fond and stupid little thing, and he felt like crying. He looked up. It was as if seeing Nico for the first time. He gulped. For a moment there were only the two of them, and something inside Connor wanted to put his arms around him. Maybe kiss him.

"Come here!" Travis must have read his thoughts and interpreted them in the worst way possible as he pulled all three of them into a giant group hug.

Nico's body pressed against the younger Stoll brothers chest, face flushed and squirming at the overall awkwardness of the situation. Connor marveled at just how perfect he fit, before starting to laugh like a mad man. Boy was he fucked.

"Uhm, would you be so kind and let go now?" The Son of Hades asked flustered. He apparently reached his cuddle limit.

"As you wish," Travis winked and they could breathe again.

Nico snorted, "Did you just quote The Princess Bride?"

"Did you just admit to having watched The Princess Bride?" The troublemaker teased, ruffling through the kid's shaggy hair.

"For your information, I've read it, you brute," Nico replied and poked a pointy elbow into Travi's ribs.

Together they sat next to Nico at the Hades-Table. And when Mr. D increased his effort to win the staring contest against his food and definitely not notice anything around him, neither of them would comment.

Idiots.